Candidate running to replace NY Gov. Stefanik drops out after allegedly forging election petition signatures

Lonny Koons of Jefferson County, NY, announced this week he will suspend his campaign to replace U.S. House Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) after he was allegedly found to have forged signatures on his election petitions.

Koons, who has reportedly not submitted any official petitions yet, announced the end to his campaign on Thursday, citing lack of sufficient funds to continue the campaign. “I am doing this mainly because I cannot sustain a political campaign on my own,” he said. “I had stayed afloat by pulling out half of my 401k and that is not enough.”

Koons also addressed the information he was caught filling out in two videos posted by a YouTube channel called North Country Watch, saying he was unaware that completing some of the information fields besides the signature field was illegal. State election law makes it mandatory for all information to be completed by the individuals who signed the petition.

Rep. Stefanik’s campaign issued a statement on Koons’ withdrawal from the race saying he should be prosecuted. “This is a serious crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the statement reads.

According to state officials, Koons would have to turn in petitions with falsified information on them in order to have committed a crime.